Where do users go after a webinar? Use Sequel and Google Analytics to drive conversions

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and online content plus the disappearance of third-party cookies and UTM codes, gaining a deeper understanding of user behavior on your website is paramount. Among the key metrics to monitor, tracking page views has become one of the most critical.

At Sequel, we enable companies to host webinars on their website, resulting in a significant increase in website traffic and engagement. To make the most of this surge in traffic, it's crucial to monitor page views and analyze user navigation patterns during and after webinars. This will help ensure accurate conversion tracking and optimize results.

In this blog post, we'll explore how to set up page tracking using Sequel and Google Analytics (GA4). We'll also cover how you can use this data to optimize your online presence.

Why are page views important

1. Understanding User Engagement

Page views offer a direct window into how users interact with your website. They indicate not only the quantity but also the quality of engagement. Monitoring page views enables you to discern which pages are the most popular and which may be underperforming. This knowledge empowers you to fine-tune your content & website strategy, enhancing the overall user experience.

2. Identifying Popular Content

By tracking page views, you can pinpoint the pieces of content that resonate most with your audience. Whether it's a blog post, a product page, or another webinar landing page, knowing what captures your visitors' attention helps you create more of the content they love. This not only boosts user satisfaction but can also lead to higher conversion rates and increased brand loyalty.

3. Evaluating Marketing Campaigns

If you're running digital marketing campaigns, tracking page views is essential for assessing their effectiveness. You can see which campaign landing pages or blog posts are attracting the most traffic. By comparing this data with your campaign goals, you can measure the return on investment and make data-driven decisions on where to allocate your marketing resources.

4. Enhancing Your SEO Strategy

Page views contribute to search engine optimization (SEO) in multiple ways. Popular && valuable pages tend to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). By analyzing which pages generate the most views, you can optimize your SEO strategy around the topics  keywords that resonate with your audience, driving more organic traffic to your site.

5. Monitoring User Flow

Tracking page views allows you to map out the user journey on your website. You can see the sequence of pages users visit, which can reveal valuable insights into how they navigate your site. Are they moving smoothly through your content or encountering roadblocks? Identifying drop-off points can help you streamline the user experience and improve conversion rates.

6. Personalizing User Experiences

With page view data, you can tailor user experiences. For instance, if a visitor frequently views blog posts on a specific topic, you can offer personalized content recommendations or targeted offers related to their interests. This level of personalization can lead to increased engagement and conversions.

7. Setting Benchmarks and Goals‍

Tracking page views allows you to set benchmarks and goals for your website's performance. As you collect data over time, you can establish targets for increasing page views, improving bounce rates, and enhancing user engagement. These benchmarks serve as a roadmap for continual improvement.

So, how does this work?

Getting started with Sequel

The first step is to sign up for Sequel and embed the webinar experience on your website! It is free to get started and no credit card is needed.

Here is the perfect place to start: https://help.sequel.io/how-can-i-get-started-with-sequel-to-build-my-own-live-experience

Once Sequel is setup, you can start tracking page views using Google Analytics (GA4). GA4 is the new analytics tracking and it comes with some powerful reporting tools to understand your audience.

How to Track Page Views: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access Your GA4 Account

Log in to your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) account.

Step 2: Start with a Blank Exploration

In GA4, navigate to the "Explorations" section.

Step 3: Create a New Blank Exploration

Click on "Create Exploration" or a similar option to begin a new exploration.

Step 4: Choose the Exploration Type

In the exploration setup, select the type as "Funnel."

Step 5: Define the Funnel Steps

Create funnel steps to track visitor behavior for webinar pages.

Click on "Add Step."

Name the step "Webinar Landing Page."

Filter for landing pages containing the path on your website where you are hosting webinars. This is usually the start of the registration URL in Sequel.

In our example, we are using the Game Changers Online series.

Add another step.

Search for "page" and select Page path + query string

Filter for pages that do not contain the url added above

Name it "Visited a page"

Keep the "Indirectly followed by" setting as it is, as this helps track user flow more accurately.

Step 6: Review Funnel Data

Observe the funnel data to see how many webinar visitors proceed to non-webinar pages.

Step 7: Add a Breakdown Dimension

To analyze the data further, add a breakdown dimension.

Select "Landing Page Query String" and set it as a breakdown dimension.

Add a second dimension and select "Page path + query string"

Set it as the Next Action

This allows you to see which pages users visited the most during or after a webinar

We get the general conversion to other pages with this report but we still can't see exactly which webinars are driving this traffic. For that, we need to create a user segment.

Step 8: Create a user segment

Scroll down to Step 2 and right-click on "Visited a page" or the name you assigned to step 2.

Save the segment for later use.

Step 9: Create a Free Form Report

Go to the "Create a Free Form Report" section.

Step 10: Add Dimensions and Metrics

In your free form report, add dimensions and metrics:

Under Dimensions, drag the Landing page + query string and "Page path + query string" into Rows

Create a metric and search for Sessions

Assign it as "Values"

Step 11: Apply Segment Comparison

Add the previously saved segment to the Segment Comparison

Step 14: Apply Filters

Add filters to focus on relevant data.

Filter 1: Landing Page contains the webinar url as set on step 5

Filter 2: Page Path Query String does not contain the url above

Step 15: Analyze and save the report

You are done! This report contains all the users that navigated to your webinar page and then navigated to a second page on your website. You can use the date filters to check for specific events or timelines based on your marketing campaigns. In the example above we can see users went to the home page and pricing page the most.

You now have the power to set conversion goals, check if they went to specific pages on your website and see if your webinar strategy is pushing people to the right content and conversion.

Do you have multiple webinar series? No problem, simply duplicate the report and change the url in Step 5 and Step 14 to focus on the other landing pages.

Summary

In conclusion, tracking page views after a webinar is not merely about counting numbers; it's about unlocking insights that drive your online strategy forward. Understanding user behavior, identifying content trends, and optimizing the user experience are just a few of the benefits.

In today's digital landscape, where competition is fierce, harnessing the power of page view analytics is essential for staying ahead and ensuring your online presence resonates with your audience. So, start running webinars on your website, track those page views, and let the data guide your path to digital success.

Future releases

This article shows how you can easily create this report using Google Analytics but we are not stopping here! Soon, we will introduce a Google Analytics native integration in Sequel where we will fetch this data automatically from your accounts and enrich the analytics in Sequel. Stay tuned for our product updates!

‍